Copyright: monacoeye • Para, Brazil, August, 2011

Bird name: Bat Falcon
Latin: Falco rufigularis
Other: Halcón murcielaguero (Es) • Cauré (Br)
Family: Falconidae • Falcons
Range: Mexico, Central America, tropical South America
Similar: Orange-breasted Falcon

Above, record shot of Bat Falcon perched beside river in Amazonia, Brazil.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Panama, Chiriqui, May 2010

Bird name: Common Bush Tanager
Latin: Chlorospingus ophthalmicus
Other: Tangarita oftálmica, Tangara de monte orejuda, Clorospingo comun (Es) • C. flavopectus
Family: Emberizidae • Bush Tanagers
Range: SW Mexico to N Argentina,
Similar:

I saw the Common Bush Tanager in several locations in Panama, above in El Valle, below at the Finca Dracula in Cerro Punta. In Panama, recognisable by the large white patch behind the eye.

But in Ecuador, Common Bush Tanagers do not have this white post-ocular mark.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Panama, Chiriqui, May 2010

Bird name: Golden Hooded Tanager
Latin: Tangara larvata
Other: Tangara capuchidorada, tangara cabecipinta (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: S Mexico to Ecuador
Similar:

The Golden Hooded Tanager was one of the first birds I saw in Panama in Cerro Azul, then more frequently in El Valle.

The golden hood makes this bird pretty unmistakeable. Good-looking bird!

Also seen at the Silanche Reserve in northwest Ecuador - western slope.

Below: Golden-hooded Tanager, Panama
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Canopy Tower, Panama April 2010

Bird name: Turkey Vulture
Latin: Cathartes aura
Other: Urubu-de-cabeça-vermelha (Br) • Turkey Buzzard (US) • John Crow (Caribbean) • Aura común (Es)
Family: Cathartidae • New World Vultures
Range: Americas: Canada to Argentina, incl Panama, Ecuador, Brazil etc.
Similar: Black Vulture, Lesser Yellow Headed Vulture, Comparison

In Panama, there is only one other similar vulture with a thick white trailing band on the wing, the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, which has a yellowish, not pink, head.

Turkey Vultures can quickly be distinguished from other birds of prey at a distance by their V-shaped wings when gliding. The key fieldmark for differentiating them from other vultures is the well defined light underside of wings. Also they have pink heads.

Cathartes aura ruficollis, the indigenous Panamanian vultures pictured above and further below have light marks on the back of the neck. Large numbers of migrating Turkey Vultures can also be seen in Panama at the right time of the year.

Turkey Vultures were less common than Black-headed Vultures by the coast and in Itatiaia NP. There I saw them on three occasions, singly or in pairs, very high up or low in the forest.
In the Pantanal they were seen regularly in August 2011, but not as frequently as the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture.

In Panama, in April, the Turkey Vulture was more common than the American Black Vulture, and frequently seen in most non-urban locations. The observation deck of the Canopy Tower is a good place to get views of them soaring across the top of the forest.

Below: Turkey Vulture showing light underside of wing feathers, Pantanal, Brazil, August.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, Chiriqui, May 2010

Bird name: Yellow Faced Grassquit
Latin: Tiaris olivaceus
Other: Semillerito cariamarillo, Tomeguín de la tierra, viudito (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Seedeaters, Grassquits
Range: Greater Antilles, E Mexico to Venezuela
Similar:

The male Yellow-faced Grassquit is quickly recognised by its distinctive face pattern, which almost resembles a nuclear hazard sign when viewed face on, with three yellow marks - two above the eyes and one below the chin. The female, directly below, is greyer with only a hint of the same pattern.

We saw Yellow-faced Grassquits frequently in Panama, in diverse habitats.


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Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, El Valle, May 2010

Bird name: Lesser Goldfinch
Latin: Carduelis psaltria
Other: Dark-backed Goldfinch
Family: Fringillidae • Finches
Range: W USA to Peru
Similar:

The male Lesser Goldfinch in Panama has a dark cap and upperparts, with white mark on wing, and bright yellow underparts and throat. The female is a different shade of yellow below, white marks on darker wings and olive nape. Pinkish yellow bill. Bird pictured directly below may be juvenile because of the black marks on face - not sure. I found these tricky to ID. Thanks to Tom for the photo above.

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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, Chiriqui, May 2010

Bird name: Crimson Backed Tanager
Latin: Ramphocelus dimidiatus
Other:
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Panama, Colombia, Venezuela
Similar: Ant tanagers

The Crimson-backed Tanager was one of the most common tanagers in central Panama - seen at feeders, around houses and fairly open forested areas.

Crimson-backed Tanagers are basically red birds with dark wings, but as there are quite a few red tanagers, with similar names, they can be surprisingly difficult to ID to the uninitiated.

Males have a characteristic partly white lower bill, whereas females’ bills are fairly uniform dark. Females are on the whole duller and browner.

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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, April, May 2010

Bird name: Blue Grey Tanager
Latin: Thraupis episcopus
Other: Blue-Gray Tanager (US) • Tangara azulada, azulejo de jardín (Es), sanhaço-da-amazônia (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: S Mexico to Bolivia, Amazonia
Similar: Palm Tanager

The Blue-grey Tanager is one of the most common and omnipresent garden tanagers in Panama. It is pale grey with blue on wings tail and back. The shade of blue varies from cobalt to turquoise. Seen from below the Blue-gray Tanager can look very white, like other Thraupis tanagers.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Itatiaia, Brazil, November 2009

Bird name: House Wren
Latin: Troglodytes aedon
Other: Corruíra-de-casa (Br) • Curucucha (Es) • Troglodytes aedon musculus
Family: Troglodytidae • Wrens
Range: Widespread Americas
Similar:

The House Wren is found throughout the Americas. The musculus subspecies pictured above is called the Southern House Wren, and sometimes viewed as a separate species.

The House Wren is a great garden bird, with an attractive song. It is not shy and much easier to see than its European counterpart. I saw it in most habitats I visited in Brazil.

Still easily observed in central Panama (lowest two photos), around the hotels, but seemed to be a little less confiding than in Brazil.




Below, photo from Panama.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Cerro Azul, Panama, April 2010

Bird name: Lesser Elaenia
Latin: Elaenia chiriquensis
Other:
Family: Tyrannidae • Elaenias
Range: Costa Rica to Argentina

I saw the above Lesser Elaenia in central Panama, in Cerro Azul. Then another in El Valle.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Rufous Tailed Hummingbird
Latin: Amazilia tzacatl
Other: Amazilia de Cola Rufa (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Mexico to Ecuador and Venezuela

The Rufous Tailed Hummingbird was perhaps the most widespread hummingbird seen on my trip to Panama. Similar to the Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, but only the tail is rufous, not the back. And only the lower part of the underside is white or grey. Underside of bill is mostly pinkish red.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Cerro Azul, Panama, 23 April 2010

Bird name: Swallow Tailed Kite
Latin: Elanoides forficatus
Other: Gavião-tesoura (Br) • Elanio tijereta (Es)
Family: Accipitridae • Kites, Birds of Prey
Range:
Similar:

The Swallow Tailed Kite is unmistakable by its long deeply-forked tail and contrasting black and white plumage.

Its range includes much of South America, excluding the southern cone, and extends up through Central America into southern USA.

I was greeted by a close group of about twenty or thirty Swallow-tailed Kites, circling on thermals on Cerro Azul, where these photos were taken on my first morning in Panama. Possibly migrating, though there is a resident population.

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